Kotetsu
Boku’s reign atop the One Fighting Championship lightweight
division did not last long. Shinya Aoki
made sure of it.

Aoki (33-6, 2-0 OFC) submitted Boku with a second-round rear-naked
choke, as he captured the 155-pound title in the One
FC 8 “Kings and Champions” headliner on Friday at Singapore
Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Boku (20-8-2, tapped out 2:01
into round two, as he was submitted for the first time in nearly
four years.

One of the sport’s fiercest ground fighters, Aoki had the champion
in trouble from the start. Boku spent much of the first round on
the mat, eating strikes and defending against his opponent’s vast
arsenal of submissions. He survived Aoki’s initial onslaught but
was not as fortunate in round two. There, Aoki secured a takedown
from the clinch, transitioned to Boku’s back, locked in the choke
and consolidated the hold by sinking his hooks. Boku fought to free
himself, but surrender soon became his only option.

Larson (37-7, 1-0 OFC) struck for takedowns in the second and third
rounds, neutralizing his foe’s lethal standup arsenal. The
35-year-old Minnesotan closed with a flourish, as he unleashed a
barrage of elbows and punches that went unanswered in the final
frame and left Manhoef (27-10-1, 1-1 OFC) beaten and bloodied.

The well-traveled Larson has compiled an 8-3 record since being
released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship following his
strike-induced submission loss to Brian
Foster at UFC 106 in November 2009.

Meanwhile, former Shooto champion Masakatsu
Ueda submitted Jens Pulver
with a second-round brabo choke in the second of two bantamweight
grand prix semifinals. Pulver (27-18-1, 1-2 OFC) -- the first
lightweight titleholder in UFC history -- conceded defeat 3:52 into
round two, as he lost for the 10th time in his last 15 outings.

Ueda (17-2-2, 2-0 OFC) countered a takedown with a reversal in the
second round, postured inside Pulver’s guard and softened him with
punches. From there, the Japanese veteran locked up the brabo choke
and delivered his first submission in more than two years.

The 35-year-old Ueda will meet Kevin
Belingon in the One FC bantamweight grand prix final after the
Filipino prospect put away Thanh Vu with
second-round punches in the other semifinal. Belingon (11-2, 2-2
OFC) finished it 60 seconds into round two.

“The Silencer” chopped down Vu (3-2, 1-1 OFC) with low kicks
throughout a one-sided first round. In the second, Belingon clipped
the Australian-based bantamweight with a head kick and followed-up
with a volley of power punches that resulted in the stoppage.